Burglar alarm



B. ATWOOD BW//l May 22, 1923.

TOR

l {MIIW le Patented May 22, i923.

narran g Leibe CLARENCE is. A'rwoon, or Uniones, ILLINOIS.

Application tiled June 15, 19252. Serial No. 568,531.

To @ZZ 'whom it may concer Be it known that l, CLARENCE B. AT- woon, a` citizen of the United States, residing at Chica-go, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Burglar lila-rm, of which. the following is a specification.

Y This invention Vrelates toburglar alarms. rllhe object is to provide av burglar alarm specially adapted for use in connection with windows having` vertically sliding sashes whereby, when the lower sash is elevated, a predetermined distance, after certain parts of the device have been set for operation, a blank cartridge is discharged at one side of the windowto frighten the burglar, or other unauthorized person, and to warn the occupants of the house or other building.

The invention comprises two coacting members, one being secured in position against the face of the frame of the window adjacent to the inner groove or channel in which the lower sash travels and to receive a blank cartridge, the other coacting member being pivotally secured to the adjacent face of the lower sash and swingable into position to engage, when the sash is raised, a reciprocating plunger within the cartridge holding member and to discharge the same, the second coactiii'g member being also movable into inoperative position so that the sash may be raised or lowered without discharging the cartridge.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confinedv to strict conformity therewith, but may be changedor modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In vthe drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures F ig. l isy a perspective view of the improved burglar alarm shown in position for operation, the coacting members being secured respectively to a portion of a window frame anda portion of the lower sliding sash of the same.

'F ig. 2 is a vertical sectional view throughv the stationary cartridge-receiving c member secured to the window frame, the coacting member secured to the sliding sash being shown in elevation and in the act of actuating the plunger to` discharge the cartridge.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the sash and a portion of the frame, showing the device in plan view.

Fig. l is a vertical section through the frame and showing the rear or inner side of the stationary member in elevation.

The invention comprises a barrel or cyl' inder l formed of a metal tube, preferably of brass to prevent corrosion or rust, the same being closed at its lower end by a plug 2 secured in position in any desired manner, as by soldering or brazing, the plug having a centrally-disposed cartridge-receiving bore or passageway 3 extending entirely through the same and adapted to receive a blank cartridge t of that size or type known as a Flobert, or the same may belengthened to hold a larger blank cartridge such as that known as a twenty two short.

The upper end of the barrel lis closed by a plug 5, preferably provided with an annular, outstanding ange 6 at its upper end resting upon the upper end of the barrel, and held in position therein in like manner or by a small set screw 7, so as to more readily permit of the assembling of certain parts about to be described.

Upper and lower fastening plates 8 are soldered or otherwise secured to the barrel l and are adapted to be secured to the face of the side plate 9 of a window frame, as by screws l0, and adjacent and parallel to v the inner groove or channel l1 provided for the upward and downward movement of the lower sash l2 in the usual construction of windows.

ln that side of the barrel directed towards the interior of the room in which the window is located, a rectangular opening 13 is provided, the lower edge of which is flush with the upper end of the plug 2 at the bottom of the barrel, and said openingvis wide enough to freely receive the iiange of the cartridge and to permit the latter to be readily introduced into the bore of said plug with the said flange resting upon the plug, as will be readily understood.

At that side of the barrel opposite the entrance opening 13 and directed towards the sash 12 is a slot 14, the lower portion of which is longitudinally of the barrel and the upper portion 15 is inclined as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the lower end of the slot being located slightly above the upper end of the cartridge supporting plug 2 and the upper end of the inclined portion of the slot being located substantially at the center of thebarrel.

A. plunger head 16 of a diameter to freely slide within the interior of the barrel is positioned within the same, and is provided with an upwardly extending stem 17 formed of a rod of a gage or diameter to freely slide through the bore or passageway 5a provided in the upper plug 5, and of a length to extend through the said plug 5 when the lower face of the plunger head 1G is resting upon the upper face of the cartridge. The upper end of the plunger stem 17 is laterally bent at a right angle, as at 18, and extends outwardly towards the adjacent inner face of the sash 12 and somewhat beyond the peripheral edge of the flange G of the upper plug 5.

The plunger head 16 is provided with an outwardly directed lug 19 entering the slot 14 and adapted to ride upwardly and downwardly in the same as the plunger is actuated, and to cause a rotative movement of the plunger in the barrel as the inclined portion of the said slot is traversed by the lug 19, as will be .readily understood. The plunger is provided on its lower face with a detonating lug or projection 20, which may be located at one side of the center of the plunger head for use in connection with rim fire cartridges, or the same may be centrally located with r'espect to the said plunger head for use in connection with center fire cartridges.

An expansion spring 21 is placed within the barrel in surrounding relation to the stem of the plunger, with its upper end bearing against the under side of the closure plug 5, and its lower end bearing on the upper face of the plunger head 16, so that the said spring will have a tendency at all times to force the latter downwardly against the cartridge and to explode the same by means of the lug 20. It will be seen that the plunger, the stem and the spring may be readily placed in position in the barrel, before the upper plug 5 is positioned, after which the saine may be secured in position to hold the parts therein.

A latch lever 22 formed of some strong, thin sheet metal is provided at its upper end with a circular head 23, having a suitable central opening for the passage of a pivotal screw 24, which enters the inner face of the sash 12 in line with the longitudinal axis ofthe barrel 1. At its lower end, the latch lever 22 is provided with a laterally directed foot 25 which is directed'tow'ards the barrel 1, and that side edge of the foot adjacent to the face of the window frame is cut away or beveled as at 26, for a purpose to be explained.

At an intermediate point between the pivotal screw 24 and the foot 25 of the latch lever, the latter is provided with a stop lug 27 formed integrally therewith and extending at a slight angle from the edge of the saine adjacent to the window frame, and adapted to strike the saine when the lever is swung downwardly and arrest it in a vertical position, as indicated in full lines in F ig. 2, when the foot 25 of the latch lever is engaged beneath the inturned end 18 at the upper end of the plunger stern 17. vWith the parts thus engaged, the upward movement of the sash 12 will cause the plunger to be elevated in the barrel 1 until the lug 19 begins to enter the inclined, upper portion 15 of the slot 14, when the said plunger is caused to rotate and the angularly bent portion 18 at the upper end of the stem will turn on the upper face of the foot 25 of the latch lever until the beveled .portion 26 of the same is reached, when the bent portion 18 becomes -disengaged from the foot and the plunger forced downwardly, through the expansive action of the spring 21 and the cartridge will be exploded. yThe latch lever may be turned about its pivot 24, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.. 2 of the drawing, when they sash may be freely raised and lowered indenitely without the explosion of the cartridge as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing, it will be seen ythat a simple, cheaply manufactured device has been provided which may be readily installed in position for operation, without detracting from the appearance of the window and that the same may be readily thrown into or out of active positionas desired, the saine having few parts to get outy of order and readily permitting of the blank cartridge being introduced into positionfor firing. v j

I do not wish to limit the use of theinvention to windows, but may employit in other relations.

What is claimed is 1. A burglar alarm comprising a barrel carried by a fixed part and having a cartridge seat, a spring-pressed plunger movable within the barrel and adapted when released to explode the cartridge, the upper end of the plunger being ybent laterally,

means provided on the barrel. and the,A

plunger whereby the plunger is given a partial rotative movement as it risesv and falls, a lever carried by a movable ypart and having a laterally disposed` foot adapted, tofy engage with the bent end of the plunger'` when the movable part is raised to carry' the plunger with it, said lever being swingable to move the foot into and out of engagement with the bent end of the plunger, and means whereby at a certain oint in the upward movement of the mova le art the connection between the foot and the ent end of the plunger is automatically released due to the partial rotation of the plunger.

2. A burglar alarm comprising a barrel adapted to be secured to a window frame, a cartridge seat located in the barrel, a spring-pressed plunger mounted in the barrel and having a stem extending upwardly, said stem having a bent portion, a latch lever carried by the sash and having a foot swingable into engagement with said bent portion to lift the plunger when the sash is raised, said barrel having a longitudinal slot provided with an inclined portion, and a. lug carried by the plunger and adapted to traverse said slot and cause the automatic disengagement of the bent portion of the plunger or stem from the foot of thelatch lever when the inclined portion of the slot is reached.

3. A burglar alarm comprising a barrel having means for attachment to a window frame, plugs closing each end of the barrel and having central bores or passageways, the barrel having a lateral opening above the bottom plug to permit a cartridge to be placed in the bore of the said plug, and having a longitudinal slot opposite the opening and on the side adjacent to the sash, said slot terminating at its upper end in an inclined portion, a plunger adapted to reciprocate within the lbarrel and to contact with the cartridge to explode the same, a stem rising from the plunger and traversing the bore in the upper plug and terminating in a horizontal arm directed towards the sash, a swinging latch pivotally attached to the sash and provided with an outstanding oot to be moved into or out of the path of the arm and having a cutaway or beveled portion, a lug carried by the plunger and riding in the slot of the barrel and adapted to rotate the plunger when moved upwardly in the inclined portion of the slot causing the swinging of the arm to the cutaway portion of the latch-foot, and a spring within the barrel surrounding the stem and bearing on the plunger to force the same down on the cartridge when the arm is released from the foot.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliiXed my signature.

CLARENCE B. ATWOOD. 

